Coli outbreak, traceability issues plague Chipotle

Chipotle is implementing several changes to the way in which food is prepared amid recent E. coli and norovirus outbreaks.

Their illnesses were caused by a different strain of E. coli than the one responsible for the ongoing nine-state outbreak that has sickened 53 people, so health officials are not sure if the cases are part of the same outbreak.

Those changes include blanching onions in boiling water to kill pathogens and then dicing them along with lemon or lime juice to further eliminate any potential germs, The Associated Press reports.

“The CDC says Chipotle has been very cooperative in the E. coli investigation, but that the company is having trouble telling the agency which batches of ingredients went to which stores at which times”, according to Bloomberg News.

In its annual report the company said its use of fresh ingredients rather than frozen and traditional stovetop cooking, rather than automated, put it at greater risk than competitors like McDonalds.

Five people in Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma have fallen ill from an E. coli strain with a rare DNA fingerprint, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The department said there is one confirmed case of E. coli in Cleveland County and two in Canadian County.

In November, sales crashed 16 percent.

Chipotle says it is working on ways to better monitor the safety of the food ingredients it uses, including using methods such as high-resolution testing and additional food-safety training for employees.

In response, Chipotle management has pledged to enhance its efforts on food safety, with co-CEO Steve Ells pledging to make Chipotle “the safest place to eat”.

All the people who were infected at a Chipotle probably can’t wait to stop by and try out the new food. Yum. Pork and barbacoa beef are already delivered cooked in sealed bags.

Not all chopping will be moved to centralized locations.

“In this case, when someone is really trying to regain the trust and refocus the brand around food safety, it’s even more important that they be open and transparent”, said Benjamin Chapman, a food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University.

Still, Chipotle’s road to recovery may be long.